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Filed Sept. 30, 1959 INVENTOR ATTO 'EY DISPENSING Patented July 20, 1943CONTAINER George C. Erb, Forest Hills West, N. Y., assignor to AmericanCan Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey ApplicationSeptember 30, 1939, Serial No. 297,398

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to dredging cans for powders, condimentsand the like and has particular reference to a fully sealed rectangularcan which is opened by breaking out scored parts out in a central panelof the can end or top, this panel having a depressed section the sidesof which are concentric arcs and these opposite walls along their fullarcuate extent are folded over to provide spaced oppositely disposedchannels or slide seats for a fiat perforated top slide having sideedges out along concentric lines corresponding to the sides of thedepressed top section by means of which the can may be fully opened fordispensing of its contents as in removal by a spoon, or the dispensingmay be done by sifting the contents through the perforations or dredgeopenings in the slide, or the can may be reclosed against any dischargeof contents depending upon the position of the slide.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a dredging canwhich is initially sealed to enclose its contents and which may beopened .to make effective a flat perforated top slide having its twoopposite side edges formed on concentric arcs and which slides forwardand back along a curved path while it is retained in the can top.difi'erent positions of the slide deter mining different methods ofdispensing of the can contents in addition to functioning as a reclosurefor the can.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple flush topcurved slide member for a rectangular dredging can which allows forremoval of a relatively large amount of the contents as by a spoon whenthe slide is moved toward one short edge of the rectangular can top andwhich closes the can when the slide is moved to the adjacent long edgeduring which movement it passes along the arc of a circle, anintermediate position in its circular travel making eilfective dredgeopenings in the slide.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dredging can embodying the presentinvention;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are top plan views of the can of Fig. l, the threeviews showing different posi-- tions of the slide;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail as viewed along the section line55 in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 in Fig. 3and drawn to a larger scale.

The present invention is concerned with a dredging can having a simpleone-piece perforated top slide which has a curved movement across aflush surface provided in the can top. this top of the can being securedto the can body in a double seam. The slide becomes effective tocondition the can for dispensing of or for enclosing its contents afterthe can has been initially opened, by the breaking out of a scored partof the top end. Such a can is shown as being rectangular in shape andthe slide is formed with concentric curved lines so that it has movementfrom one end wall of the can top to an adjacent side wall of the top,the slide being held in proper position on the can top by the slidewayconstruction formed in the top.

Such a rectangular can comprises a can body ll (Figs. 1 and 6)preferably formed of metal and provided with an imperforate bottom orend member and an imperfora-te top end member l3. The two end membersmay be secured to the body in conventional double or other types ofseams M. The top end i 3 is primarily of the usual dished form requiredfor double seaming and this construction provides a sunken web wall ISinside of the double seam. The wall I5 is further depressed as a sunkenpanel part l6 which extends from one end of the top wall I5 to anadjacent side of the wall. This depressed panel 16 is of curved outlinealong its side walls which are or may be concentric arcs of a circle.

The flush wall surface of the depressed panel 16 permits the use of aone-piece top slide member ll which rests on the panel wall and whichhas various sliding positions to effect different dispensing actions orto reclose the can after it has been initially opened. This top slide I1is of simple construction having concentric edges 48 which correspond tothe side walls of the depressed panel IB. The slide has an additionalstraight edge I9 and an opposite connecting curved edge 20 which joinsthe concentric edges 18, The edge 20 may extend into a reverse smallcircular section 2|.

The slide I1 is confined in the sunken panel [6 of the can top in amanner which permits it to move into its different positions. Thisholding and guiding of the slide is effected by a special shaping of theconcentric side walls of the sunken panel l6. From a manufacturingstandpoint it is desirable to reshape the side walls of the sunken panelafter the slide member H has been positioned in the can top. When cantop and slide I \UVIII are assembled, therefore, these concentric wallsare collapsed or pressed edgewise transforming them into S-shape incross section, as indicated at 22 in Fig. 6. This re-shaping ofeach'side wall provides a channel 23 and an overhanging ledge 24. Theslide H is confined against displacement from the can top by itsconcentric edges l8 sliding freely within the opposed channels 23 whilebeing held down by the ledges 24 of the sunken panel section.

In the position of Fig. 2 the straight edge IQ of the slide I! isagainst the inner wall of the double seam. The opposite curved edges 20,2| of the slide now uncover a scored part formed in the depressed webwall of the panel.

In this depressed wall of the sunken panel l6 2 continuous arcuate scoreline 25 is cut through fully or in part and the two ends of this curvedline are joined by a broken chord line 26. These curved and straightscore lines set off a removable part or area-21 which prior to initialopening of the can remains in the plane of the wall of the sunken panelthus forming an imperforate top for the can.

With the parts in the position of Fig. 2, the can is opened. Thisrenders the slide l1 effective as a slide closure. This initial openingof the can is made by pressing down on the segment area of the removablepart 21, the part being pushed down into the can as illustrated in Fig.6. In such action of opening the can, the arcuate score line 25 breaksthrough and the metal of the top bends along the chord score line 26.This removal of the part 21 from the plane of the can top creates adispensing opening 28 (Fig. 6),

With the slide remaining in the position of Fig. 2 and with the can thusinitially opened quantity dispensing of the contents may be had byinserting a spoon into the dispensing opening 28. The shape of thisopening is such as to permit insertion and withdrawal of a spoonful ofcontents, the straight chord wall of the opening providing a scrapingelement so that just a level spoonful may be obtained.

Following such opening of the can and this partial dispensing of itscontents, movement of the slide to the opposite end of the sunken pane.effects a reclosure and again confines the contents. To simplify such aslide movement, the slide I! is formed with a bent-back lug 3| (Fig.which is pressed fiat against the top of the slide, this lug terminatingin a curled finger-piece 32.

To move the slide from open to closed position for example, it is merelynecessary to grasp the finger-piece and draw or push the slide along itsslideways'. Its straight edge I9 moves away from the double seam of theshort end of the can top and its curved edge 2| is then broughtadjacen"v to the long side of the top which is adjacent thereto. Inother words, the slide is moved from the position indicated in Fig. 2 tothat shown in Fig. 4.

Stop elements are used to lock the slide in each of the open and theclosed positions. Such a stop feature includes a protuberance 33 (Fig.4) pressed up from the sunken web wall of the panel Hi. In the openposition a raised button or protuberance 34 on the slide snaps over theprotuberance 33 hold ng the slide in place. In the closed position ofthe slide (Fig. 4) the slide fully closes or covers over the dispensingopening 28 and confines the contents in the can. In this position thestraight edge |9 of the slide is immediately adjacent the protuberance33 and the latter holds the slide with its curve-d Wall adjacent theside of the seam and with the curved corner edge 2| in the roundedcorner of the seam.

When it is desired to dispense the contents in a sifting or dredgingaction the slide is moved to an intermediate position. A straight lineof perforations 35 is cut through the wall of the slide l1 adjacent itscurved edge 20 and in an intermediate position, illustrated in Fig. 3,these perforations lie over the dispensing opening 28 just inside of thechord line edge of the opening. As shown in Fig. 6, this positionresults in free communication through the openings from the inside ofthe can to the outside and the contents may be sifted therethrough bythe usual shaking or tilting of the can.

This sifting position, as in the open and closed positions of the slide,is positively maintained in a definite location by a stop feature. Theprotuberance 33 is again used. This time a stop button or protuberance36 pressed up from the wall of the slide l1 adjacent its straight edgel9 engages over the protuberance 33 and holds the slide in theintermediate position with both of the edges I9 and 20 spaced inwardlyfrom the surrounding seam.

It will be observed that in the full open position of the can (Fig. 2),the perforations 35 come over the web wall of the sunken panel I6. Inthe closed position of Fig. 4 this web wall also prevents anycommunication with the inside of the can. Therefore the perforations areonly operable in the intermediate position of the slide.

In this way an exact and predetermined location of the slide relative tothe dispensing opening 28 is made possible for all of its dispensingpositions. It will also be observed that the movement of the slide isunique in that it moves between adjacent sides of the end member ratherthan moving across the end between opposite sides. This is made possibleby reason of the curved or arcuate path of movement of the slide andresults in a smaller can top size and a shorter slide movement for thesame maximum size of dispensing opening. This is important in a dredgingcan inasmuch as such a can finds its greatest use in the packaging ofspices in which small quantities of contents are desired in a singlecan.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a sealed rectangular dredge top can wherein a perforated slidemember is movably confined within a slideway on an imperforate can endmember seamed to the can body, for sliding movement within the confinesof the end seam into a plurality of closing and dispensing positionsrelative to a prelocated dispensing area in the can end member, theimprovement comprising said slideway and slide member being ofconforming arcuate configuration with the slideway extending ro one seamedge to an angularly disposed adjoining seam edge of the container endmember, to obtain movement of said slide member in a curved path oftravel, whereby to obtain a maximum movement of the slide member intosaid plurality of positions on the end of a can of relatively smallcross sectional size.

2. In a sealed rectangular dredge top can wherein a perforated slidemember is movably confined Within 8 li w y on an imperforate can endmember seamed to the can body, for sliding movement within the confinesof'the end seam into a plurality of closing and dispensing positionsrelative to a prelocated dispensing area in the can end member, theimprovement comprising said slideway and slide member being ofconforming wr te configuration with the slideway extending from one seamedge to an angularly disposed adjoining seam edge of the container endmember, to obtain movement of said slide member in a curved path oftravel, whereby to obtain a maximum movement of the slide Search Roommember into said plurality of positions on the end 01' a. can orrelatively small cross sectional size, said slide member when disposedin closing position adjacent one seam edge of the container end coveringsaid dispensing area, when moved through said slideway to adjacent saidangularly disposed adjoining seam edge completely exposing saiddispensing area for bulk dispensing purposes, and when moved to anintermediate position between said adjoining seam edges registering theslide member perforations with said area for sitter dispensing of thecan contents, and means on said can end member engageable with spacedmeans on said slide member for yieldingly holding the latter in each ofthe aforesaid positions.

GEORGE C. ERB.

